Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-28
TRAIN VRECKGR HANGED.
Hoffman, the Nebraska Train
Wrecl1er, Expiates His
Crime upon the
ScaffOld.
Full Particulars OF tho Crime-.Hoff
man Breaks Down and Cries
Like Il Child.

David Holman was nnugel Mt NeDrasKa
City, Neb., at 1925 the morning Of July
%. Fully 5000 people were in the city,
and many more would have been present
had The execution been public. The mill.
tia wSre present TO prevent trouble. The
prisoner was supported by Reys. Piersor
aud Stewart, his ministers. He presented
haggard appearance and looked as if he
had passed sleepless night. After he
reached The scatfoll Rev. Pierson prayed
and the sheriff asked Hoffman il he had
anything to say. He replied: 81 cannot
say anything" At 1925 the black CAP
was adjusted on his head and ut 1O:25h the
trap was sprung. His neck was not brols-
en-, and he died from sirangulat;on. FL S
body was cut down eleven minutes after
the trap was sprung. About five minutes
afterwards the body was removed into the
court house, where upwards of 5000 peo-
pie viewed the remains. They were then
turned over to relatives who removed them
10 Unadilla, Oloo county, where they We're
inferred Saturday.
The prisoner maintained his innocence to
the last This is the first legal hanging
NhiSh SSSi lOOh piuCe III ClU5 County,, tue
Oldest county in the State of Nebraska.
DETAILS OF THE wREcKING.
On January 12, 1887, tho news was re-
ceiyed of n wreck occurring on the night
previous at Dunbar, nine miles west of
Nebraska City, whereby the engineer, J..
w. Dewitt, lost his life. The train was
engine No. 252, Missouri Pacific Railroad
from Omaln to Kansas City. The III in
was running at tue rate of forty miles an
hour. The train jumped the track and ran
along for some distance b, fore going over
the embankment, which was about seventy
feet high. at :he bottom Of the embank-
ment ran creek, and at the bottom of this
lny The cals-a sleeper, car chair, smoking
car and baggage Car. The cause of the
WreckinS was rail misplaced, or rather
two Fails were loosened aud pushed to one
side. The bar and wrench, with the
stamp of the Burlington and Missouri
RIVER Rnllroad on them, We're found living
on tho bank close by where the rails were
misplaced. Investigation showed TINT the
Burlington and Missouri tool house at
Dunbar had been broken into anl the tools
taken therefrom.
Ihere We're seven'y-three passengers on
tue train, and the superintendent of the
line, j.. w. Daily, was among th m. He
cut his way ont and went back to the en-
glnr, which was on its side with the en-.
gineer underneath. His hand was still on
the throttle, which had penetrated his BODY
near the heart, and was imbedded in ,he
ground several inches. The body lnid
there until the afternoon OF the next day.
when the wrecking trnin arrived and the
engine was righted and the body extracted.
Death was instantaneous.
Ihe passengers cut their way through
the windows and doors and e;capea with
Few slight bruises, with the exceptions of
tne express messenger, who had the front
of his head crushed and the bones in his
face smashed. Owing to the cars being
heated by steam there was no fatalities
otherwise the loss of life would have been
very large.
David W. Hoffman and James Bell were
arrested charged with the crime, and on
y INC Doots OF arrested man being fitted in
the tracks along The road they were found
to "size up" exactly. The men we're
brought be ore the coroner's iury and
Mrs. John Hoffman, sister-in-law of D.
w. Hoffman, and to whose house the two
men We're traced from the track, testified
that Dave and Bell came to the house.
which they reached at the same time the
crash occurred. Her husband testified the |
same materially. Other witnesses testi-
ned to seeing the two prisoners going
from Dunbar to the tool-house, and being
under the influence of liquor. The coros
ners jury rendered verdict where thew |
charged Hoffman and Bell with the perpe.
lration of The deed by which the engineer
was Killed, and recommended that they
be held for trial under the above
charge. o'e
/. Bell turned states evidence and confessed
mat Hoffman was the head of the plot and
mat they had planned 10 rob train. The
PLOT had been laid for several weeks, and
hey decided to put It in operato ION that
1ight. They knew that the south-bound
rain had on board about $4,000 in gold
md twenty bars of silver valued at 81 .00O
each. They stole the tools and misplaced
ho rails after much difficulty, and Bell
'aid ne weakened when the headlight of
ne coming train appeared in view. They
ai.ed to accomplish the object of The
,rime, as they were SO badly scared at what
hey had done. :. " --a'
The District Court met April 7. and
'th. When the case was called the conn
lei Tor the defense moved to uuash The
Indictment on the grounds of Insufficient
Sldence. This was overruled. A change
u venue was then asked for and this mo-
ION was also overrulcd. An affidavit was
hen filed, signed by Hoffman only. in
he support of n motion TO set aside the
ury as drawn by n prejudiced sheriff. This
Ias overrulcd. The defendants were
lven separate trial. The trial occupied +
our days, the evidence of various viii
esses not conflicting in material points
he case of Hoffman was given TO The
1ry on April 10, 1857, and after an hour's
they returned verdict Of
lurder in the 1irst degree. Hoffman was
rought into court on Monday, April 10
receive his sentence, which was r;vnn
I'm by Judge Chapman He was SEN.
'need 1S to hang on Friday, July 90, 1887.
beil was brought up for trial on April 10
na IN consideration of his turning states
'idence he was sentenced TO ten years i'm.
rlsonment in the pententi}ry. {
Hoffman received his sentence with
,mposure. He was member of ,ha ita
church, hut few DAYS beRore ]
le hanging he selected Rev. Father Cns. |
ID, Catholic priest, TO be the !
efgYman in attendance nm
m on the scaffold. His bro her and
ster seldom visited HIM after sentence
as pronounced. An effort was made tn
I'VE his sentences changed TO imprisons
enttor life, but the 8, heme failed. /
i Il Il